Hi Mary. Many patients are faced with this problem. When a crown is tried into the mouth a patient is given the opportunity to view the aesthetical appearance of the crown inside the mouth. If the crown is accepted by the patient, the dentist seeks “informed consent” from the patient to permanently glue the crown into the mouth. In other words the patient agrees to accept the crown and is also willing to pay for it. I am sure that you have witnessed the same procedure. But what went wrong? You left the surgery and you noticed that the crown is the wrong colour. There are several issues here. Firstly, I believe that dentists should do what is best for their patients. If there was any doubt in his/her mind that the colour was wrong or that the ceramist could have made a better looking crown, the procedure should have been halted and an appointment with the ceramist should have been arranged. I think that a patient relies on the dentist’s knowledge to grant “informed consent”. Then, there may have been a possibility that your crown looked great in the surgery and when you left the colour was wrong. It must be understood that there are many factors that influence the natural aesthetics of a crown. The optical properties of porcelain compared with tooth structure, surface texture and reflection of the ceramic, the type of materials, the shape and form, etc. Crowns can appear different in different environments. Then there may be an issue with false expectations. Some patients may believe that it is possible to replace a tooth with a crown that looks exactly like its neighbour. This is not always possible, especially if teeth are multicoloured or the ceramist has not been consulted. It is vitally important to see the ceramist. A ceramist that is expected to work with notes from a dentist is like asking an artist to paint the Mona Lisa from notes. Your best bet is to go back to your dentist and express your concerns. Bleaching the surrounding teeth is not what your dental treatment plan covered and this may be a quick temporary fix to the problem. I would not accept it, unless the dentist can guarantee that the crown would blend in and that he/she would whiten my teeth for free for the rest of my life! If you are in New Zealand you can ask your dentist for a complaints procedure and follow that. Good Luck, Sincere regards Michael.